White-headed Woodpecker
Leuconotopicus albolarvatus
Distinctive woodpecker, unlikely to be confused with any other species. Almost entirely black with white head and small white wing patch. Males have red patch on back of crown; sexes otherwise alike. No other woodpecker shows clean white head and lack of patterning on back or belly. Found in coniferous forests, often in mountains. Usually seen in pairs or family groups. Listen for sharp "peek" notes, often rapidly doubled or tripled.
Identification
It has a black body (approximately 20 cm (7.9 in) long) and white head. It has white primary feathers that form a crescent in flight. Males have a red spot at the back of the head.
Taxonomy
Most of the range is occupied by the nominate subspecies. In the southern part of the range, L. a. gravirostris, which has a longer bill - especially in males - and tail, is only found on mountaintops of the San Gabriel Mountains to San Diego County. Birds on Mount Pinos are somewhat intermediate. mtDNA cytochrome b and ATP synthase subunit 6 sequence data confirms this arrangement and also suggests that the Mount Pinos birds are closer to L. a. gravirostris (Alexander & Burns, 2006). Apparently, the larger bill of the southern subspecies is an adaptation for being better able to feed on the large, spiny cones of Coulter pines (Pinus coulteri). Some taxonomic authorities, including the American Ornithological Society, place this species in the genus Dryobates.
- Scientific name
- Leuconotopicus albolarvatus
- Authority
- (Cassin, 1850)
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Picidae
- Genus
- Leuconotopicus
Range and habitat
The range of the white-headed woodpecker stretches in the mountains from British Columbia through southern California. They form nests in dead trees or snags and reproduce once per year.
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Behavior
Migration pattern: Vertical migration.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Procellaria conspicillata
Large, stocky, dark petrel. Look for the diagnostic pattern of white “spectacles” on the face. In flight, alternates slow wing beats with glides. Usually seen well offshore in relatively warm waters. Breeds only on Inaccessible Island. The closely-related White-chinned Petrel lacks the white face pattern.
Southern Citril
Crithagra hyposticta
Small seedeater with a sharp bill and forked tail. The upperparts are olive-green and the underparts pale yellow with some streaking. Males and females are similar. Found at middle and high elevations in a variety of habitats, including forest edge, gardens, cultivation, moist scrub, and woodland. Usually in small flocks. The song is a fast jumble of high-pitched twitters and whistles. Similar to Western Citril, but there is virtually no overlap in range, and further separated by the lack of a strong pale eyebrow, and the lack of a black face on the male.
Gran Canaria Blue Chaffinch
Fringilla polatzeki
Endemic to the island of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. Medium-sized finch with a strong and heavy bill, broken white eyering, and bold white wing-bars. Male is a striking dark blue-gray while female is brown-gray. Largely restricted to montane pine forests. Song is a repetitive, accelerating series; call is a quiet, rising “weep.”
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